ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — farmland
  6. court — for sport
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — to go on
  10. court — of a king
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. firm — a company
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com